1586 : Elizabeth of England officially sent aid to the rebels in the Netherlands

1586 : Philip decided to invade England

1588 : the Spanish Armada.

1590 : Farnese invaded France – on the orders of Philip just as he was about to make majorprogress in the Spanish Netherlands. This enabled the rebels to re-group and recover from their losses. Farnese had to do the same on Philip’s orders in 1592.